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H1B life vs. Moving to Canada - Experience sharing

21Goose

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No offense meant to you in anyways, I clearly stated it as my personal opinion. If you feel US schools and healthcare is broken, and Canadian schools and healthcare work great, so be it. I don't know real truth about everything, however numbers don't lie..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_diaspora

Nearly, 10% of Canadian population has left the country and majority of them have headed towards US.. not to mention 75,000 Canadians living illegally in US leaving their access to great schools and healthcare. If things were so great in comparison to US, what is reason that all of these people have moved? Career just cannot be answer as people have kids and need to access schools, healthcare, deal with guns and all that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_diaspora

So there are ~9 million US citizens living abroad. Why are they moving abroad?

Cherry picking figures doesn't prove anything, you know. People have lots of reasons to move.

I mean, no one is disputing that the US is a great country to live in for some people, and millions of people across the world would love to live in America. That's not in question at all.

But your insistence on taking over any thread and constantly talking about how great the US is, and how anyone who doesn't want to live in the US is just wrong is weird. And you keep saying that things in Canada are not great in comparison to the US. Well sure, for you Canada is not as good as the US, but for someone else it may be. Why do you have to keep defending the US so vehemently?

Why are you even on a Canadian immigration forum?

I'm honestly not trying to be rude to you, I just find it weird. I apologize in advance if this sounds rude - I promise I'm not trying to be rude!

Anyway, I'll leave this discussion now. Have a great day, internet stranger! :)
 
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iceman87

Full Member
Sep 8, 2015
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I agree for healthcare.. but you could get shot in Canada too. All of the western world have problems with guns. US is always criticized for guns, and NZ has been admired for peace, but after the NZ Mosque shooting, it turned out that NZ has poor gun laws too. It is all fate. I have never seen NZ been criticized for guns laws before.

Not so long ago, a 19 year old immigrant was brutally shot dead by someone who broke in their house in Winnepeg. There is a experience of someone who had bunch of people knocking their doors with guns in Alberta at their apartment for burglary. The person was newly moved immigrant and they were scared to their life after that incident. It was directly from the person who experienced it, don't remember if it was in this forum or a Whatsapp group.
I find it really appalling that there are all kinds of "justifications" being thrown as to why immigrating to Canada is your last straw

- I remember you asking if any Indian with GC would leave voluntarily. That would be me, why? Because I have been mugged 5 different times in broad daylight (3 at gunpoint) in 3 different cities in the states, not in shady areas or places where I wasn't supposed to be. My US boss (non desi) took offence that I was on a 3 minute phone call with my sick sister during work. NEVER have I ever felt unsafe in my 3 years in Canada or had co-workers/bosses micromanage me. In fact, my family was invited to a few houses when they got the news that my parents were visiting. I'm not saying people in the US are better/worse. BUT the general culture in Canada is way more safer, respectful and tolerant.
- Crime is something that every place on earth has to coexist with, but the hate crimes in the US are way more than your house/car break-ins here. Threat to life is something I haven't felt even remotely here.
- Canada has fewer jobs, no doubt, but if you're truly a "skilled immigrant" you will go through the initial struggle and be ok with relative ease once you have a year of experience or so, hell, even locals go through the same. The key here is networking and if you've missed it, you are to blame. The same people who refused to meet me initially are now sending me job/partnership offers almost every week. You have to be patient, period.
- On the specific topic of incomes, salaries are lesser than the US for sure, but your golden ticket to wealth is the fact that you can be an entrepreneur from day one. Agreed that not everyone wants to be one but once you have established yourself in the right professional circles, it is very easy to do even side consulting work. My current small firm has offered me a minority stake in their company, would you ever dream of this in the US being on H1, highly unlikely!
- I injured myself (minor scratches) while hiking and got into a walk in clinic and walked out without paying a penny and was attended by a funny nurse who had a similar accident in the same trail, we made friends instantly!

Truth is, especially we Indians get the false sense of entitlement the day we complete our first day in an office in any country abroad. The US never had, never will have an obligation to grant you permanent residency, it is privilege, just as the Canadian PR is. We all know what we signed up for when we filled up our F1 visa forms. Denial is convenient but reality hits you sooner or later. If you're looking at Canada as plan B/stepping stone to get back in the US, you will never be happy here because you came here against your own will in the first place. The true value of a Canadian PR will only be realized when there is a new government at the helm who turn anti-immigrant/protectionist etc.

If you are constantly going to bash Canada and its lack of opportunities (which is false, at least in my opinion), you are better off in the US because you are never going to mentally be ready to accept Canada.

From an Indian, ex-US, happy Canadian!
 

fr72

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Jan 6, 2017
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I
- On the specific topic of incomes, salaries are lesser than the US for sure, but your golden ticket to wealth is the fact that you can be an entrepreneur from day one. Agreed that not everyone wants to be one but once you have established yourself in the right professional circles, it is very easy to do even side consulting work. My current small firm has offered me a minority stake in their company, would you ever dream of this in the US being on H1, highly unlikely!

From an Indian, ex-US, happy Canadian!
Its a great point. In my field, I see hourly rates of $100-$120 CAD per hour. Unlike in the US, I can incorporate and claim deductions to stretch this even further. Also unlike the US, I don't need to be employed by a visa sponsor who will ask for a cut of this pie. There are some downsides to contracting, but if you care a lot about money, you can get that too in Canada.
 

Samoinp

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May 30, 2017
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The employer is a well known MNC and one of the few places which could afford to pay a decent salary in India. If I start filtering these out, I will be left with poverty level wages.

The real question is, if you think everything is hunky dory in India, why are you even on a Canada immigration forum?
Is it possible your presumptions, over generalizations and stereotyping thoughts reflect in your conversations with them? Food for thought.
 

lampbreaker

Champion Member
Apr 7, 2015
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376
All good points people. Please try not to take things personally. There are no catch all right answers here. We are just trying to share our thoughts and experiences so that others can make their own decisions.

Also, there is not much point bringing India into this discussion IMO. If you are a Citizen of India (or PIO), going to India is always an option. The question here is whether to stay in the US in H1B or move to Canada as a PR.

I agree that from the get go, it is not a good idea to expect to come back to US after getting Canadian citizenship. If you get an option to do that in future, you can think about it at that time.
 
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fr72

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Jan 6, 2017
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I agree that from the get go, it is not a good idea to expect to come back to US after getting Canadian citizenship. If you get an option to do that in future, you can think about it at that time.
It is not a good idea to expect to stay in the US forever either, everyday is a privilege there unless you are on GC. This is why, its very presumptuous to compare US and Canada and more realistic to compare US and home country, which happens to be India.
 

Joshua2018

Star Member
Feb 10, 2018
59
31
Hello Folks,

I've been ardently following this thread ,but was a bit busy to sit down and post my thoughts.

Now that I finally found some time ,here you go!!

I agree that this situation is incredibly frustrating .The US is no doubt one of the best countries in the world to settle down. It's simply beautiful and my love for the US knows no bounds, like several others in this forum. But unfortunately I was born in India and therefore I am not allowed to dream the American dream, the way others have the privilege of. This is a very painful fact , but we have to accept it and move on to the next step. We love the US, but does the US love us back the same way?

Just two weeks ago, I returned to the airport after my soft landing in Canada. I was picked up by a Pakistani Uber Driver from the airport. He wasn't very well versed in English,but he could definitely speak English and understand it. However since he saw that I was Indian, our entire conversation was in in Hindi.He was certainly much more comfortable speaking in Hindi.I just mentioned that I've been in the US for the past 6 years. He arrived 2 years ago and he already has is Green Card. He just wants to maintain his residency obligation for 6 months and therefore he stays in the US for six months every year and drivers Uber. He does not possess the minimum English Language proficiency or minimum skills required for a decent job. But he is a Green Card holder. Some of us have a Masters from the US, have all kinds of high demand skills., are Big Data architects and AWS experts, but we have no Green Card in sight. Yes this is incredibly frustrating.

However there is little we can do to change anything here in the US and obtain a Green Card. In my opinion it's best to be thankful we all have the right to the Canadian Dream. I agree opportunities might not be as abundant as it is over here, but just imagine if we didn't even have the Canada option.

The best part is Canada is infact a bordering country ,and not even half way across the world like Australia/New Zealand. You can still maintain close proximity to the US and still come here with your family for a Vacation to Disney World or Vegas.Once you have your Canadian passport you can come and go as you wish. Like others have mentioned you also have the option to come back to the US after you obtain your Canadian citizen.. May be they might resolve the back log issue by then ,and if that's the case folks can plan their move back based on when their PD becomes current. .Thankfully ,our future generation is going be just as lucky whether they live in Canada or in the US. Even for the kids who are not born in the US, if they become Canadian citizens moving to the US will always be a very viable option for them,since age will one their side. They can plan accordingly if they start to chart out things at a younger age and they will us to guide them a well.

So let's all maintain a positive outlook and try to make the best of the opportunities we all have right now.. Letting go of the American Green Card dream would definitely be a very painful experience for me, because I have been dreaming of flying to Chicago/Los Angeles as 7 year old. Believe me ,those are the only US cities I knew back then. I remember playing mentioning as a kid hey I am going to Chicago., Hey I am going to Los Angeles.

I have lived in this country for 6 years now and yes letting go of the American Dream just because I was born in India is definitely hard to digest.
 
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Samoinp

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May 30, 2017
514
131
Hello Folks,

I've been ardently following this thread ,but was a bit busy to sit down and post my thoughts.

Now that I finally found some time ,here you go!!

I agree that this situation is incredibly frustrating .The US is no doubt one of the best countries in the world to settle down. It's simply beautiful and my love for the US knows no bounds, like several others in this forum. But unfortunately I was born in India and therefore I am not allowed to dream the American dream, the way others have the privilege of. This is a very painful fact , but we have to accept it and move on to the next step. We love the US, but does the US love us back the same way?

Just two weeks ago, I returned to the airport after my soft landing in Canada. I was picked up by a Pakistani Uber Driver from the airport. He wasn't very well versed in English,but he could definitely speak English and understand it. However since he saw that I was Indian, our entire conversation was in in Hindi.He was certainly much more comfortable speaking in Hindi.I just mentioned that I've been in the US for the past 6 years. He arrived 2 years ago and he already has is Green Card. He just wants to maintain his residency obligation for 6 months and therefore he stays in the US for six months every year and drivers Uber. He does not possess the minimum English Language proficiency or minimum skills required for a decent job. But he is a Green Card holder. Some of us have a Masters from the US, have all kinds of high demand skills., are Big Data architects and AWS experts, but we have no Green Card in sight. Yes this is incredibly frustrating.

However there is little we can do to change anything here in the US and obtain a Green Card. In my opinion it's best to be thankful we all have the right to the Canadian Dream. I agree opportunities might not be as abundant as it is over here, but just imagine if we didn't even have the Canada option.

The best part is Canada is infact a bordering country ,and not even half way across the world like Australia/New Zealand. You can still maintain close proximity to the US and still come here with your family for a Vacation to Disney World or Vegas.Once you have your Canadian passport you can come and go as you wish. Like others have mentioned you also have the option to come back to the US after you obtain your Canadian citizen.. May be they might resolve the back log issue by then ,and if that's the case folks can plan their move back based on when their PD becomes current. .Thankfully ,our future generation is going be just as lucky whether they live in Canada or in the US. Even for the kids who are not born in the US, if they become Canadian citizens moving to the US will always be a very viable option for them,since age will one their side. They can plan accordingly if they start to chart out things at a younger age and they will us to guide them a well.

So let's all maintain a positive outlook and try to make the best of the opportunities we all have right now.. Letting go of the American Green Card dream would definitely be a very painful experience for me, because I have been dreaming of flying to Chicago/Los Angeles as 7 year old. Believe me ,those are the only US cities I knew back then. I remember playing mentioning as a kid hey I am going to Chicago., Hey I am going to Los Angeles.

I have lived in this country for 6 years now and yes letting go of the American Dream just because I was born in India is definitely hard to digest.
For folks on the fence, some hint here, search Detroit-Windsor in this forum ;-)

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2019/04/24/linkedin-shows-off-its-new-space-detroits-downtown/3549214002/
 

Cubicrootofthee

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Jan 10, 2018
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I agree for healthcare.. but you could get shot in Canada too. All of the western world have problems with guns. US is always criticized for guns, and NZ has been admired for peace, but after the NZ Mosque shooting, it turned out that NZ has poor gun laws too. It is all fate. I have never seen NZ been criticized for guns laws before.

Not so long ago, a 19 year old immigrant was brutally shot dead by someone who broke in their house in Winnepeg. There is a experience of someone who had bunch of people knocking their doors with guns in Alberta at their apartment for burglary. The person was newly moved immigrant and they were scared to their life after that incident. It was directly from the person who experienced it, don't remember if it was in this forum or a Whatsapp group.
Just look at the homicide rate comparison chart.
https://globalnews.ca/news/2378037/gun-violence-by-the-numbers-how-america-canada-and-the-world-compare/

But forget statistics and let's compare the number of mass shootings. I agree it can happen elsewhere too but how often do these happen and what is the general public's reaction. It frustrates me to no end that there is only apathy from the general public here. Anyway, the least I can do it treat it as a perk (ok, so, in addition to 'free' healthcare, you'll likely no get shot today).
 

rajabasav

Newbie
Sep 17, 2017
5
0
I am moving from California to Toronto. Let's see how that goes
I'm currently in TX, USA (h1b my wife just got h4 ead) I got my PR in 2018. I'm almost maxing out my stay outside Canada in a month from now, I think out of 5 years of PR min 2 years one needs to be in Canada for PR renewal. I'm standing on rope to jump to Canada. Yet to find a job ( Software Developer with 12 years of experience C# and Microsoft technology). Any last minute inputs for me?
 

harirajmohan

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I'm currently in TX, USA (h1b my wife just got h4 ead) I got my PR in 2018. I'm almost maxing out my stay outside Canada in a month from now, I think out of 5 years of PR min 2 years one needs to be in Canada for PR renewal. I'm standing on rope to jump to Canada. Yet to find a job ( Software Developer with 12 years of experience C# and Microsoft technology). Any last minute inputs for me?
As you are at the edge, not at all prepared you have only two choices:

1. If you want to retain PR and willing to take risk: Just plan to move quickly and dont wait till last week to avoid verification of days at the border while entering Canada. Have enough cash for survival for months without job. Start preparing for interview. Start applying with some Canadian city location to get some calls as you will be considered local candidate.

Get some temporary job while searching for matching job to avoid stress on mind and financial. Dont expect high paying job equivalent to US salary as its not almost possibly to get good pay while trying newly. Dont expect to save money if you are single income. After moving, stop comparing everything with US :).

No job in a new country = Stress. So be motivated and be connected with your family and friends to pass stressful time.

Yes, 2 years out of rolling 5 years. If you have landed on Jun 25th 2018 then you should be inside the country few days (just to be safe) before June 24th 2021.

2. If you dont want to take any risk: Dont move.
 
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rajabasav

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Sep 17, 2017
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As you are at the edge, not at all prepared you have only two choices:

1. If you want to retain PR and willing to take risk: Just plan to move quickly and dont wait till last week to avoid verification of days at the border while entering Canada. Have enough cash for survival for months without job. Start preparing for interview. Start applying with some Canadian city location to get some calls as you will be considered local candidate.

Get some temporary job while searching for matching job to avoid stress on mind and financial. Dont expect high paying job equivalent to US salary as its not almost possibly to get good pay while trying newly. Dont expect to save money if you are single income. After moving, stop comparing everything with US :).

No job in a new country = Stress. So be motivated and be connected with your family and friends to pass stressful time.

Yes, 2 years out of rolling 5 years. If you have landed on Jun 25th 2018 then you should be inside the country few days (just to be safe) before June 24th 2021.

2. If you dont want to take any risk: Dont move.
Thank you for the response but I did my first landing in Canada during April 2018, My PR Card is valid until June 30 2023. So I'm still good if I relocate before mid of June 2021 right?
 

harirajmohan

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Thank you for the response but I did my first landing in Canada during April 2018, My PR Card is valid until June 30 2023. So I'm still good if I relocate before mid of June 2021 right?
PR status is based on when you gained the PR status(which is from the landing you are officially a PR), not from the date the card is issued.
If you landed on Apr 20th and stayed there for 5 days means you should be returning back on Apr 25th 2021(instead of Apr 20th 2021 since you stayed for 5 days). But the date starts rolling from landing date.

I dont know how long you stayed there and i doubt that you stayed till month of May/June. So you are not within your safe limit. If you at least start this week and give an attempt to enter, possibly there is 5% chance that the officer wont scrutinize and can enter but some officers would be strict hence you might even lose PR as you will get reported to authorities to investigate and proceed on removal from the country since you didnt meet residency obligation. So dont quit here but take working from home permission and enter the country and if it works out then its fine, if not you will come back after a month.
 
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